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Camping Tricks and Tips

Remember Diva Becca’s post filled with 101 Camping Tips & Ideas? It was a super popular post because it was filled with brilliant camping ideas for the perfect outdoor vacay! Because everyone loved that list so much, we dug even deeper and found even MORE cool camping ideas. Read through the list, and after that your next outdoor adventure is going to be absolutely flawless. The Divas are proud to bring you the Ultimate List of Camping Ideas {Round 2}!

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We wanted this list to help you have the best camping trip ever, because we know it can be a struggle. In addition to having to find camping setup ideas you have to find FUN camping ideas that will entertain the whole family. That’s in addition to figuring out what things to take camping! As a result, you pretty much need a vacation before the trip even starts! Don’t let the stress of prep keep you from getting excited! Scroll on down to find the most useful camping tricks, including:

What to Bring on a Camping Trip

Getting ready for your next outdoor adventure is about to get SO much easier thanks to these brilliant camping ideas! It can be kind of stressful to put yourself in a situation where everything you might need is not readily on hand. Regardless of that (totally valid) worry, camping can be fun! You just have to know how to prep and what things to bring camping. So if you’ve ever wondered what things to take camping – we’ve got you.

1. Roll Your Clothes: Save space by rolling outfits together. Also, a brilliant idea for kiddos! 2. Family Packing List: Tips and a printable list to help you be prepared – not scared 😉 3. Personal Packing Lists: Print out an individual list for each of your kiddos, then let them get packed themselves – saving YOU time. 4. Mini Medicine Cabinet: Link no longer available 🙁 Taking tons of bottles takes up tons of space – but, now you can be efficient. 5. Shower Cap Covers: Use this packing idea in order to keep all of the camping dirt in its place. 6. Packing T.P.: An essential! Keep your toilet paper dry with this trick! 7. Eggs in a Bottle: Instead of worrying about breaking eggs along the way, crack all the eggs prior, then funnel them into a bottle! 8. Straws: Pack medicine (or spices) in straws and seal the ends with heat!

9. Cooling Racks: Keep your food dry by keeping it away from melting ice with cooling racks! 10. Pack Spices: These containers are perfect for pills, condiments or spices! 11. Packing Condiments: Instead of tons of bottles, keep the small packets from restaurants and put them in a little container. 12. Pack Dryer Sheets: Stick them in your bag to prevent weird smells and stick them underneath the tablecloth to keep bees away! 13. Camping Notebook: One of the best camping ideas yet! Create a notebook with EVERYTHING you need stored in one place. 14. Menu Planning: Printables perfect for helping you organize each meal at the campsite, but would anyone judge me if I used it ALL the time?!

15. More Packing Ideas: Check out all these ideas for packing – includes car to rain gear! 16. Snacks to Pack: Tips on what to bring and what to leave at home. Not only are they great ideas, but great nutritional value. 17. Sleep Warm:Everything you’ll need to bring and need to know in order to sleep at night. Plus, try out this Warm Water Bottle Hack. 18. Wildlife Knowledge: It’s important to plan ahead and stay informed about what to do if you encounter wildlife. National and state forests often put out information that can help you. 19. Duct Taped Water Bottle: Pack it by attaching it to a water bottle. We used to always say ‘Duct tapes fixes everything.’ Not totally true, but it’s handy! 20. Mason Jar Dispenser: Perfect for down-sizing any liquid, this mason jar hack is EASY to make and saves so much space!

Useful Camping Tools and Supplies

These camping ideas will make your trip so much easier. When you’re in the wilderness you are going to find that these are some of the most important things to bring camping. Be a Boy Scout and get out there – but get out there prepared!

21. Pot Holder: Table space is always at a premium, so use a belt and S hooks to store kitchen essentials. This is a camping setup ideas I can’t believe I went so long without! 22. Picnic Blanket: Not all campsites have a picnic table. This blanket is PERFECT for camping – it has a strap and sewn-in insert to make folding easy! 23. Shower Caddy: Keep everything you need for a trip to the bathroom in one handy place! 24. Super Dry Towel: Regular towels take up SO much space, but these little ones are space-efficient and fast drying! 25. Crayon Fire Starters: Make use of old or broken crayons at your next camp outing! 26. Trick Candles: Pack trick candles for windy camping trips so that if the wind blows them out, they’ll relight themselves! These are now #1 on my list of things to take camping – so brilliant!

27. Pet Bowls: Camping is a pet-friendly trip and these portable bowls are perfect. 28. Cart: Even if it’s supposed to be for the beach, it’s really ideal for any outdoor adventure! 29. Unbreakable Cups: In addition to being eco-conscious, a soft, folding cup that fits in your pocket is pretty high on the list of fun camping ideas. 30. Self-Cleaning Washcloth: It seems odd and contradictory but it works! 31. Tin Can Luminaries: The CUTEST way to light up your campsite. Save your soup cans prior to your trip for one of these cool camping ideas. 32. Collapsible Bucket: Buckets are awkward! If you don’t want to shove things in, around, and under it, then grab this one. 33. Wax Fire Starters: Homemade and simple technique to help start a fire using some cotton facial pads. 34. DIY Tiki Torches: You can fill them with insect-repellent tiki oils.

35. Pool Noodles: Bring pool noodles cut into smaller sections with a slit down one side. They’re perfect for storing cords (split it on one side and slide them in), hanging towels and holding cards.

36. Pencil Sharpener Fire Starter: Use a shavings to create the perfect kindling. 37. Solar Lanterns: No electricity needed to keep your campsite well-lit. 38. Spork: Cut down on the utensils you need to bring – this is an all in one tool! 39. Campfire Sage: Sage is a natural insect repellent – use it to make a more inviting camp atmosphere. 40. Match Mason Jars: Keep matches together and essentially water-proof so your fire is ready right away.

Cool Camping Ideas for Families

Camping with the little ones has never been more fun – and packing has never been so time consuming! ;P If you struggle to know what things to take camping with kiddos, we’re right there with you. Because of this we decided that we would try and find the best camping tricks and fun camping ideas to use. This list of tried and true camping ideas makes me pretty confident that everyone (including YOU) will have the time of their lives!

41. Fitted Sheet Over Crib: Bring afitted sheet and keep your little safe from sun and bugs. 42. Activities in the Dirt: Let the kids embrace the outdoors – and dirt! 43. Activity Bags: This link is no longer available 🙁 Try thinking of creative things to bring camping that can encourage imagination. 44. Color Fires: As if fire wasn’t cool enough… make it glow in fun colors! 45. Road Trip in a Box: You’ll want to create this entertainment kit for the trip TO the campsite! 46. Camping Kid Bed: You’ll use this even if you’re not camping. And for the little bit bigger kids, check out these bunk beds! 47. Nature Hike Bracelet: There’s no way that this craft could be easier. BONUS the kids carry all of the things they pick up along the way! 48. Camping Charades: The classic and hilarious game, with an outdoor/camping twist!

49. Toy Tub: Prepare the kiddos’ go-to place for entertainment, so you don’t have to come up with fun on the spot. 50. Nature Names Craft: A super creative craft that’s personalized! 51. Ladderball: A family-friendly game that absolutely EVERYONE will love. And if you love lawn games you’ll get a kick out of our Yard Olympics! 52. Camping Notebooks: (The pictured link is no longer available 🙁 check our replacement) Cute ideas to record your camping memories and finds! 53. Cool Off Necklace: When function and fun meet! And now I guess you need to add sponges on your list of things to take camping! 54. Glow Bowling: Glowing games are perfect when the sun goes down. All it takes is some glow sticks and some other simple supplies. If you need more ideas like this to take camping, check out the ideas from our Glow-in-the-Dark Game Night!

55. Geocaching: Think of it as a treasure hunt with a map that gets you to the exact location. It’s one of those cool camping ideas that involved every family member. 56. Glow Jars: Perhaps glowing mason jars were never on your list of what to bring on a camping trip, but after seeing these – they will be! 57. Parent Survival Tips: The TOP hints for making family camping more manageable. 58. Outdoor Play Pen: This link is no longer available 🙁 But we still think this is clever way keep the littlest members of the family safe. Definitely on my “What to bring on a camping trip” list. 59. Scavenger Hunt: This scavenger hunt is SO fun because of the little carrying case for all your treasures. 60. Marshmallow Catapults: Marshmallows and camping go hand-in-hand, but in this activity you’re flinging them across the campsite instead of eating them.

Inexpensive Camping Ideas

Going camping is already a great budget idea, but if you’re trying to make vacations happen without breaking the bank, then you’ll love these articles and ideas to save even more! We know there are so many things worth spending money on, and so many ways to save. This list keeps us knowing what’s really important in addition to giving great tips.

61. Dollar Store Camping Supplies: This link is no longer available 🙁 But you can head to your nearest dollar store and stock up on great deals! 62. Milk Jug Ice: Freeze milk jugs filled with water! You already have a lot of things to take camping, so don’t make bagged ice one of them. 63. Toothpaste Dots: Baking soda toothpaste – these dots mean you won’t have to argue over the one tube of toothpaste either! 64. Simple Camping for Real Foodies: Creating yummy meals while camping doesn’t have to sacrifice your family’s health. Love these tips for eating real food on a budget! 65. Camping on Zero Budget: When you really can’t spend a dime, use these tips to make your next camp-out even more inexpensive. 66. Yoga Mat Sleeping Pad: Instead of purchasing an expensive sleeping mat, try a yoga mat. Especially if you already have one lying around!

Delicious Recipe Ideas for Camping

Isn’t the food the BEST part of any trip? Rhetorical question because of course it is! Everyone is going to be excited to try these campfire goodies!! Don’t forget when you are compiling your camping set up ideas to make a designated place for food. Check local requirements about how to store food when not in use as well.

Okay, first step for cooking success in the outdoors – grab a SoloStove! They are amazing! I’ve had one for a few years and I could not recommend it more! You don’t need any fuel, and it is perfect for backpacking trips, Scout camps, or even just to enjoy some hot chocolate on a fishing trip! You can grab one from Amazon or their website.

71. Campfire Hashbrowns: Fully loaded these hashbrowns make the perfect side dish, or even a complete meal. 72. Cereal in a Bag: Link is no longer available 🙁 But we love this mess-less breakfast. Before leaving fill up ziplocs with cereal and stick it inside a cup. Then, come breakfast time, unzip and add milk! 73. Breakfast Burritos: Burritos that just need to be warmed by the fire. 74. Omelette in a Bag: Breakfast made fun – scramble your eggs in a bag! 75. Campfire French Toast: The most gourmet campfire meal I’ve ever seen! 76. Bread in a Can: LOVE how compact and simple this bread is – total win! 77. Camping Quesadillas: Quesadillas are such a versatile option. Have the kiddos choose how to fill them. 78. Individual Coffee Bags: Can’t stand the thought of camping without your daily cup of joe? Use this hack to create dippable coffee bags!

79. Steak and Eggs Pack: A foil packet makes this meal easy to clean up. 80. Breakfast Burgers: Create the best breakfast sandwich over a campfire! 81. Pizza Pockets: In addition to being portable it’s PIZZA! 82. Campfire Chili: Serve dutch oven chili for any group camping trip – it’s so simple to throw together and you can make a ton without making individual portions. 83. Camp Crescent Dogs: Grab your s’mores stick and get dinner going. 84. Slow Cooker Camping: Here’s another spectacular option for a crowd. In addition to great tips for making camping work with a slow cooker! 85. Onion Bombs: Meatloaf inside an onion, wrapped in foil and baked over the fire. Simple and full of flavor. How cool is that?! 86. Oatmeal Energy Clusters: If your husband’s anything like mine, he’s always hungry. It’s best to have some easy to grab snacks on hand.

87. Cheesy Broccoli: Now this is how you get the kids to eat their veggies! 88. Grilled Foil Cheese Fries: There is nothing I love more than cheese fries. Therefore, camping cheese fries sound PERFECT! 89. Campfire Potatoes: Link is no longer available 🙁 Potatoes are the perfect, fail-proof side dish. They go with anything. Above all, everyone loves them! 90. Campfire Doughnuts: Link is no longer available 🙁 But I’m drooling over these sugar-coated doughnuts made from canned biscuits! 91. Campfire Spinach Dip: Give me a dip and I’m happy. Most importantly, spinach means it’s healthy, right? 92. Dip Snacks in a Jar: Celery and peanut butter, hummus and carrots… 93. Watermelon Popsicle Sticks: A simple little hack to make snacking even more fun! 94. S’mores Trail Mix: Add this to your list of snacks that will be gone before you know it.

95. Baked Apples: On a cooler night, warm apples with a pinch of cinnamon will totally hit the spot. 96. Less Mess S’mores: A bag of s’mores is one of our best camping ideas but without all the clean up. 97. Strawberry & Nutella Sandwich: I can’t imagine anything more delicious than gooey nutella with summer strawberries. 98. Ice Cream in a Bag: This would be the perfect cool treat on a hot summer night! 99. Oreo S’mores: Who knew that s’mores could be so much better?! On the other hand, don’t forget the classics :p 100. Blackberry Cobbler: A comfort food in the great outdoors. Maybe I’ll try this at home, too 😉

101. Camping Cookbook: We’re not counting this as a recipe. However, it might be the perfect tool for helping you come up with even more great ideas for camping food!

BONUS: Let’s Sleep Under the Stars Print: Okay, so this one isn’t a tip or a hack, but how CUTE is this print?! We just couldn’t leave it out!! Perfect inspiration for your next camping trip!

I am a reading, singing, shopping queen! (I'm very lucky that my handsome hubby likes shopping as much as I do) Married for 7 years and ready for forever, I love spending time with Brigham (my husband), our girls, and our new baby boy. I teach high school English and in the summertime we love to go on adventures in the great outdoors.

Hi! So glad you’ve found some ideas you like, however, these aren’t necessarily intended to be printable ideas. You can click on the pink text to be taken to a link that gives more details about each fabulous idea though!